About Me
I love listening to folks who tell their story about their “pedagogical journey” in education, and self-identify themselves as a TEACHER, regardless of role. The journey can be a complex one and I had the great fortune to teach secondary mathematics, science, and chemistry for 16-years on the Sunshine Coast in BC. Those were my formative years and I believe have informed my doctoral research, my research interests, and my commitment to teacher education and research in northern BC.
I was born and raised in Prince Rupert, BC. Returning to northern BC as a faculty member at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) was much like “returning home.” I attended King Edward Elementary and Booth Memorial Junior Secondary, and graduated from Prince Rupert Senior Secondary. My educational journey continued at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where I had completed a B.Sc. majoring in chemistry with a concentration in mathematics, then a B.Ed. in secondary mathematics, science, and chemistry. I was grateful to acquire a full-time teaching position on the Sunshine Coast soon after completing my teacher education program. During my teaching career, I served was the mathematics department head, staff representative, and professional development representative along with other voluntary roles such as yearbook, girls volleyball, and grad sponsor.
During my teaching career, I completed a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Simon Fraser University (SFU) with a Sunshine Coast Cohort. I left teaching in BC Public Schools in 2010 and pursued a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from SFU (Surrey Campus). While pursuing doctoral studies, I served as an elected school trustee and independent educational consultant. As a school trustee, I chaired the Education Committee for 5 years and Policy Committee for 2 years. I was also elected 3 years in a row as Director on the BC School Trustee Association (BCSTA) Board of Directors, where I liaised with the BCSTA Education Committee, Legislative Committee, Metro Branch, and Vancouver Island Branch. As an educational consultant, I worked with the BC Ministry of Education, First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), and Catholic Independent Schools Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) focused on creating and implementing BC’s New Curriculum.
I completed my doctorate degree at SFU in 2017. My research focused on out-of-field secondary mathematics teachers, professional learning and subject matter acquisition. I have my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Daniel Laitsch, and my committee which included Dr. Robin Brayne and and Dr. Geoff Madoc-Jones. Moreover, I gained my first teaching experiences at the university-level at SFU as a sessional instructor where I had successfully completed the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) and Certificate in University Teaching. I also joined the teaching team at St. Mark’s College at UBC as a sessional instructor and continue to do this work. After taking care of my mom during her last days in 2018, I was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year after 6-years on the Sunshine Coast Community Futures Board of Directors and I then joined UNBC School of Education in the fall as a full-time term faculty. I teach in the undergraduate, graduate, and teacher education programs.
Other accomplishments include serving on the BC Association of Mathematics Teachers Provincial Specialists Association and co-moderating #bcedchat on edu-Twitter for over 10 years. Although I no longer a part of these groups in a co-leadership role, my interests in education remains to include professional learning, out-of-field teaching, identity development, subject matter acquisition, and policy and practice. My research agenda is focused on the Scholarship of Teaching and Action Research. My teaching is focused on examining BC Education, Leadership, and the efficacy required to enact change. I’ve enjoyed working on the UNBC School of Education program redesign for the teacher education and graduate programs, and look forward to implementing both programs in the years to come. Other things I enjoy are: (1) curling; (2) my cat; and (3) my kid. I love what I do… and I am a TEACHER.